1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of a supporting apparatus, and more particularly to a supporting assembly configured to support flexible tubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices, a variety of projection exposure apparatuses used to transfer patterns from a reticle to a substrate have been invented. Currently, in order to improve both the resolutions and the depth of the focus (DOF), immersion exposure apparatuses have been developed and are widely adopted by the semiconductor manufactures.
Briefly, the basic working principle of the immersion exposure apparatus is that the space between an objective lens and a photosensitive layer can be filled with high-index liquid during an exposure process. By the use of high-index liquid, the light passing through the objective lens may be further concentrated before it reaches the surface of the photosensitive layer. In this way, the dimensions of patterns formed in the photosensitive layer may be decreased effectively without reducing the depth of the focus.
Furthermore, in order to apply high-index liquid to the space between the objective lens and the photosensitive layer, a liquid supply apparatus including several flexible tubes is often equipped in the immersion exposure apparatus. The flexible tubes are often in direct contact with an underlying platform and are used to transport liquid from containers to the immersion exposure apparatus. During the operation of the immersion exposure apparatus, the flexible tubes often move back and forth on the platform. The flexible tubes, however, often need to be replaced since they inevitably wear out during the movement. This replacement causes unnecessary expenses and is often time consuming. Therefore, there is a need to solve these problems.